IT turns out Jamie Oliver s campaign to encourage healthier eating in schools may not have been as successful as some may think. Some 71 per cent of local authorities said Jamie s campaign was the reason the number of pupils eating school dinners had gone

IT turns out Jamie Oliver's campaign to encourage healthier eating in schools may not have been as successful as some may think.

Some 71 per cent of local authorities said Jamie's campaign was the reason the number of pupils eating school dinners had gone down.

But I believe the problem starts at home.

It's no good forcing children to eat healthy meals at school if their parents instil unhealthy eating habits in them at home.

It will only lead to a tantrum in the dining hall and the kids questioning their teachers' authority.

Instead, parents should encourage their children to eat fresh fruit and veg' from an early age.

Or if all else fails, maybe celebrity nutritionist Gillian McKeith should be sent round their homes - she is guaranteed to scare kids into eating a carrot!

On a serious note, children should be educated about eating healthily and shown fun ways to make their food look and taste more interesting.

By doing this you could kill two birds with one stone, and reduce the number of obese children too.